Nigeria’s tertiary education sector may witness a massive admission surge as the Federal Government moves to exempt certain candidates from writing the UTME, a reform aimed at expanding access and strengthening food security.

According to reports by cbinews.tv, the Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, has revealed that the Federal Government’s decision to exempt Colleges of Education and non-technology agricultural courses in polytechnics and monotechnicsfrom the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) could raise tertiary institution admissions to about 1.5 million students.

Speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Tuesday, the minister said the new policy is expected to nearly double admission figures recorded two years ago, creating broader access to higher education for Nigerian youths.

Alausa explained that the exemption specifically targets candidates seeking admission into Colleges of Education as well as students pursuing non-technology agricultural programmes in polytechnics and monotechnic.

He noted that the move is part of the government’s strategy to tackle food insecurity by encouraging more young Nigerians to study agriculture-related courses.

The minister also disclosed that the Federal Ministry of Education is currently reviewing and modernising agricultural curricula across universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education to align with global best practices and innovations such as greenhouse farming.

He added that a new agriculture curriculum that meets modern standards is expected before the end of the year.

The UTME exemption policy was officially announced on Monday during the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) 2026 policy meeting held in Abuja.

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